Seasons Greetings!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my batch mates. I miss you all and I hope you all have a great holiday. Para sa mga ka-batch mates ko na nabasa ang mga blogs ko, mag-comments kayo para malaman naman ng iba ang mga paniniwala ninyo.
Salamat po!
'Tis The Season comes Full Circle
Yes, Christmas is upon us once again. A time for celebration; a time to reflect upon the birth of our savior. Looking back into my past I remember the peculiar sound of jolliness, the sweet smell of rice cakes, groups of kids going from house to house, singing carols and all that jazz! I remember how special it was for me as a kid: a new set of toys, a new set of clothes, more money in my pocket, lots of candy...yup, those were Christmas times.
That's what Christmas was for me then; wonderful and joyous. And as I reached high school, it changed only a bit. Instead of toys, I got more clothes and shoes.. yes shoes. Back in those days, an Adidas Superstar was the ultimate gift! But what I enjoyed most during high school was spending time with friends, and what could be better than going caroling with them, or going out to the marketplace to buy some stuff for the holidays, riding our bikes around town looking for our crushes... you know, the chicks! At night we would walk around the barrios looking at the houses filled with Christmas lights and different types of "parol."
As a young man serving in the U.S. Navy, Christmas became somewhat of a luxury to me. I was away from home for a long time, and I couldn't have imagined that I would be so far away. Christmas was still special to me, though, because by this time, my religious values were already deeply rooted. Christmas was no longer a time to be jolly anymore but rather a solemn vow to appreciate the the importance of Christ being born for our sins. I continued to enjoy singing carols with friends and shipmates. But I knew I had to move on and find a better life, so I got married and settled down.
I have two kids now, an eight year-old girl and a six year-old boy. Everytime it's Christmas, it's that same old feeling again... just like when I was a kid. But it's not me receiving the gifts now, it's my kids receiving gifts from me. Everytime they open their presents during Christmas, it's as if I'm opening a gift for myself. I can feel the joy in their hearts... maybe that's how my parents felt for me when I was a kid and I opened my presents. Life is going full circle but there's still some ways to go. I think about my parents now, and how they are doing. It's Christmas season now you see, and I can't help but think about them. I thank the Lord now for the present. In the future, no one knows but maybe my parents would know just how important Christmas will be for me.
